T1B

Who has the best linebackers?

2005 Butkus Award® Semi-Finalists:

Chad Greenway - Iowa
Aaron Harris - Texas
Spencer Havner - UCLA
AJ Hawk - Ohio State
D'Qwell Jackson - Maryland
Tim McGarigle - Northwestern
AJ Nicholson - Florida State
Paul Posluszny - Penn State
DeMeco Ryans - Alabama
Ernie Sims - Florida State

:wink:

Iowa and Ohio State have the 2 best linebacking corps in the country, plain and simple, end of story. No debate whatsoever. I don't care who is on the Butkus list.

TheJON wrote:Iowa and Ohio State have the 2 best linebacking corps in the country, plain and simple, end of story. No debate whatsoever. I don't care who is on the Butkus list.

Because they play in the Big 10? Why are you so certain that they have the best in the country, bar none?

I would listen to him killian.

He knows his college football.

Did you see his picks last week?

Fuckin' locks, I tell ya

Mel Kiper has Greenway listed as the #1 OLB Pro Prospect and Abdul Hodge as the #1 MLB Pro Prospect. He has Schlegel, Carpenter, and Hawk all very high on his list too.

What I've seen OSU's and Iowa's linebackers do the last couple of years is unreal. Iowa has a D-line that barely weights 1000 pounds. It's not easy being a linebacker behind that line. But Hodge and Greenway have been dominate and are carrying this defense. Last year, Greenway made the biggest play of the season against Minnesota when he picked up a crucial sack that took the Gophers out of field goal range and what would have been a game winning kick. He did something very similar against Purdue this year. With 10 minutes left and Purdue driving, he made a huge play to knock the ball in the air and force an INT. And everytime our defense has needed a big play on defense, Abdul Hodge has stepped up and made that play. The guy is a freak.

And I could say the same about the Buckeye linebackers.

I'm not saying they're the best because they're in the Big-10, I'm saying they're the best because they're that fucking good.

What does Beano have them listed as?!?!?!?!

I'll put PSU's LBs up against anyone's. Iowa's guys are skating on their preseason acclaim at this point.

How many games have you watched FSU play, for comparison's sake? Because I saw some damn good plays by Sims against Miami, not Minnesota. And if all you have to back up your statement that OSU and Iowa's linebackers are the best in the country "plain and simple, end of story" that is pretty weak. And I doubt the validility of those rankings, considering Kiper typically doesn't rank Jr's, which wouldn't include Ernie Sims. And I wonder where Nicholson is on that list.

Either way, it is very much open for debate. And that's not even including Penn State, who may have the best unit in the Big 10.

Bottom line if I could pick any linebacking crew in the nation for my team, it would be a toss-up between FSU, PSU and tOSU.

I didn't even know they had linebackers in the state of Iowa.

What are you talking about PSU?

This will be the 3rd straight year both Greenway and Hodge were all-conference and 2nd straight All-American year. Skating on preseason acclaim my balls. Both have been Big-10 D Player of the week at least once. These guys are having big years, the problem is they're being asked to do too much because of the D-line. They ahve 250 pound d-linemen with no experience in front of them. It makes a linebackers job that much more difficult. They're getting blocked by 300 pound O-linemen because the D-line is getting no push up front.

WE HAVE A STATE CALLED IOWA!!!

You're an idiot Jimmy, plain and simple.

And Killian,

I didn't talk up tOSU's linebackers because I hate tOSU and don't care to feed buckeye in sc's ego anymore than need be.

I've seen FSU play almost all of their games this year. And yes, they have exceptional linebackers. But they're a step behind Iowa and OSU's.

TheJON wrote:You're an idiot Jimmy, plain and simple.

Oh, but am I bitch?

Let's look at national RUSH DEFENSE:

[web]http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/natlRank.jsp ... f&site=org[/web]

I'll make it easy for you. tOSU #2, Florida State #10, Penn State #17, IOWA #52.

They're real good, right.

How about PASS DEFENSE:

[web]http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/natlRank.jsp ... f&site=org[/web]

Again, I'll keep that hampster-powered lump of brown matter in your skull from over-heating. Florida State #38. Penn State #47. tOSU #50. IOWA #76.

Feel free to ask me for further beatings. I'm pretty open this afternoon.

BITCH.

TheJON wrote:I've seen FSU play almost all of their games this year. And yes, they have exceptional linebackers. But they're a step behind Iowa and OSU's.

Bullshit. They aren't a step behind anyone. Iowa has the third best LB corps in their own confrence. Don't give me that shit about "they're asked to do to much" because the dline sucks.

NOJ,

Need some gauze? Maybe R_t_S can spare you some.

The burnt rubber smell from today's plungerings will be tough to dispel.

I would say Hawk is the best LB in the country. I have been very impressed w/ him this year. He flies to the ball and seems to be in on every tackle. Carpenter is very good as well. If he was on another team he would be a household name.

That being said, I wouldnt trade FSU's LBs for anyone. They fly like no other and our depth is great. Their stats wont jump out at you b/c they rotate fresh bodies in, but they are a great group.


Butkus Final 3:

Hawk
Posluszny
Nicholson

Hawk winning it.

Fuck Jon...fucking Iowa's LB's got fucking embarassed by tOSU...

as for the rest of the discussion...

there is no way for me (even being myopian) to put one of those 4 or 5 ahead of the other...

Hawk is old school much like PP...they just have that football player mentality, instinct, whatever you want to call it...they are true throwback type LB's...

the FSU guys are fast, ferocious, and players...

I am just in awe of how Connor and Carpenter were left off...while Hawk is the standard at LB for tOSU over the past couple of years...bobby carpenter is fucking nails...and Connor is a beast as well...

as far as stats go...big fucking deal in terms of tackles and what not...

I obviously watched the Texas/tOSU game and Hawk was a man among boys...PP against tOSU was incredible and the few quarters of FSU games I have caught both LB's are impressive...

I still maintain Hawk will win the butkus...call me a homer if you will but I just see him winning it...


Jon - hodge and greenway while good are living off hype plain and simple...they got their asses handed to them by ISU's offense and tOSU's...sure they got better against Illinois and IU...and yes I watched most of all of the aforementioned games...so I have seen Greenway and Hodge in action...

everyone meet Jon he is going as m2 for Halloween...

rack buckeye_in_sc. How do you compare these guys, really? Seriously, Iowa's kids are damn good also. At what point to you views their successes individually? All I know is that PSU's defense improved dramatically when Paul P. became a starter in 2004.

^^^^

Jon melting in 5..4..3..2...hook line and sinker...

PSU gets it...how do you rank them ahead of each other...? any pro team will be glad to have anyone of them...

and again Connor and carpenter aren't even on the list and they may be the best 2???

Alright, A pissing contest! I'm in.

If you guys will look closely at the stats posted by Jimmy you will see that there is one team ranked in the top 10 in both rush and pass defense.

I wonder who that is? :D


BTW I would put the Texas linebackers up against any other group, the big difference is that Texas has 2 brand new starters. I love that Aaron Harris is on the list but Robert Killabrew is better.

If I had to rank the linebacking corps right now here is how I would put them.

1. FSU
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Penn State

I haven't paid enough attention to the others to give an accurate account.

As far as the best linebacker I have seen.

AJ Hawk

Dude looks like the kid off Mask but plays like Dick Butkus.

Surprised that Carpenter is not on the Butkus List. Has this guy just come on that past few weeks or has he been nails all season so far? ABC's crew couldn't stop talking about him during the OSU/MSU game last weekend..

Jimmy Medalions wrote:Bottom line if I could pick any linebacking crew in the nation for my team, it would be a toss-up between FSU, PSU and tOSU.

I didn't even know they had linebackers in the state of Iowa.

They do. I think we should leave their women out of this particular conversation though.